Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief says his group supports the formation of a government that would be able to improve economic conditions in the crisis-stricken country and undertake major reforms.
FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2019 file photo, supporters of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hold his picture, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. Nasrallah has thrown his support behind the Lebanese government seeking financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund but said it should negotiate the conditions cautiously.
Mustapha Adib was named by four former prime ministers on the eve of binding consultations between the president and parliamentary blocs on their choice for the post. Adib is the only name to emerge so far as a favorite for the post of prime minister, who according to Lebanon’s sectarian-based power sharing system has to be a Sunni Muslim. The candidate who gets the most support is asked to form the new Cabinet but Lebanon's divided political class has often been bogged down over who holds senior political posts.
An unprecedented economic crisis had already cost the Lebanese currency more than 80% of its value, driving unemployment, poverty and inflation through the roof. On Sunday, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia said more than half of Lebanon’s population is at risk of failing to access basic food needs by the end of 2020, amid an average annual inflation rate expected to reach 50% compared to 2.9% in 2019.
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